The HIV/AIDS pandemic compounds the challenge of reducing child labour in
several ways:
„ It adds to the number of vulnerable children, especially orphans.
„ It increases pressure on households, and on the children themselves, to have children
seek income instead of attending school.
„ It increases demands on public and private services, notably the delivery of effective
health care for children and adolescents and, in the case of South Africa, grants for
children and caretakers.
„ It increases the burden on community groups and institutions assisting caregivers and
vulnerable children.
„ It increases the risk that vulnerable children will engage in survival sex, thereby
increasing their risk of HIV infection.
This report covers these linkages between the HIV/AIDS pandemic and child labour
in South Africa, the United Republic of Tanzania, and Zambia. It complements Rapid
Assessments in these countries to gather qualitative data on the links between child labour
and HIV/AIDS. Significant efforts are being made in the three African countries to
understand and respond to the linkage, or at least to one component of the relationship.
This link is often extended to the worst forms of child labour, as described in ILO Worst
Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182),1
as HIV-AIDS unfortunately often
affects the most vulnerable children, including those engaged in prostitution and other
forms of hazardous work, as well as those working long hours in the streets in exploitative
conditions. This review examines what is working in each of the countries – in terms of
seeking to reduce the vulnerability of children to child labour, particularly its worst forms,
and to HIV infection and destitution – and what has been learned from past efforts.
Elements of good practice have been identified within each country. Both the lessons and
the elements of good practice 2
deserve recognition and, as quickly as possible, broad
dissemination.